Social Withdrawal during Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Most research on social withdrawal has focused on the concomitants of such behavior during childhood. As a result, little is known about the effects of withdrawing from peers during adolescence and emerging adulthood. This research gap is surprising given that the importance of involvement in intimate peer relationships for psychological well‐being increases throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood, but so too does the need for and value placed on solitude. Thus, in the first review of the literature focused specifically on adolescents and emerging adults, we attempt to synthesize the research on social withdrawal with developmental theory and research to form a comprehensive view of social withdrawal during adolescence and emerging adulthood. We contend that social withdrawal continues to be a risk factor for maladjustment beyond childhood, but that future researchers should more carefully consider the developmental characteristics of adolescence and emerging adulthood when selecting adjustment outcomes and interpreting results.